27 Weeks

We've entered into the 3rd trimester.  This pregnancy is going by way too fast!  The baby belly sure looks like we are in the 3rd trimester, but mentally, I'm not prepared.  I am grateful that we have made it to the 3rd trimester without any complications so far.  We are very fortunate to meet this milestone, as this is the viable baby marker.  If Miss Caroline was to come now, she would have a good chance at survival.  Of course, it would be a long road to recovery, and we want her to stay inside as long as possible.  The 27th week milestone has always been in the back of my mind ever since hearing that piece of information from a NNICU nurse.

This mamma has an appointment with Dr. Villers on Thursday.  I assume since I didn't hear back from the blood test that my glucose levels were normal.  I hope to get clarification on that when I go.  Also, I hope to get to take a peak at Caroline.  Since she measured normal at the 20 week ultrasound, there was no need for further ones, but I'd still like to see how she is doing in there!

Lots of planning has been happening around Sweet Caroline's arrival.  She has bedding, we've picked out a crib and furniture, and we're gathering hand-me-downs for the little one as well.

Bubblegum by Bananafish is Caroline's bedding.
Our set includes the bedding & a night light.
Cici is going to monogram the quilt. 

Here's Sweet Caroline's furniture for the next 18 years!
Love the crib & toddler bed has the drawer underneath! 

We plan to get the crib, night stand, door dresser
& wardrobe mirrored door. A HUGE thanks to Caroline's
Cici & JRS for purchasing this set for Miss Caroline.

Since Miss Caroline Sutherland is the first girl on either side of the family, there are no hand-me-downs from the cousins.  I have gone through Tillman's things, and gathered all of the "gender neutral" clothing.  It totaled to be one tote from 0-12 mo clothing.  This mamma has some shopping to do.  Just not sure what to buy, since we don't know how big she will be.  I guess we'll just shop along and along for her. I am very grateful to several of our friends who have offered hand-me-downs.  This will be a huge help!

I have also started stock piling diapers!  My weekly trips to Publix have been a little bit more expensive lately.  I've been gathering coupons throughout the week and will buy the diapers for sure if I have a store and a manufacture's coupon.  However, if the store has diapers or wipes on special and I have a coupon, I often buy them as well.  A $1.50 off a pack of diapers just doesn't go to far when the cheapest pack is $10! I'm purchasing size 1 and higher, as we just don't know how big Miss Caroline will be!


How big is baby?
Congratulations! This week is the beginning of your third trimester. Baby now weighs 1.93 pounds (875g) and measures from head to toe at around 14.41 inches (36.6cm).
How's baby developing and growing?
Your baby's eyes first appear at around 5 weeks after gestation and look like a pair of shallow grooves on each side of the brain. These grooves continue to develop and will turn into pockets, called optical vesicles, of which the lenses will start developing. At around 7 to 10 weeks the eyes start moving toward the middle of the face and at around 8 weeks blood vessels start to form and during the 9th week the pupils form.
At this stage the nerve connection from the eyes to the brain will start to form, this is called the optic nerve. At 11 to 12 weeks the eyelids form but remain fused together until 27 to 28 weeks, when they start to open and close and he/she will start to develop his/her sense of sight.
Your babys brain continues to grow and develop, and over the coming month special attention will be paid to developing the forebrain. There is also particular development in the portions of the brain which deal with visual and auditory information.

25 Weeks...I THINK we have a name!

 Sweet Caroline has been growing...a lot.  My belly growth has been out of control the past few weeks.  It does make me a little nervous to get my glucose test today.  I go at 4PM today for my glucose blood test and to see the doctor.  I'll be seeing a different doctor this time, so it will be interesting to see if they say anything different than Dr. Villers.  Particularly, I'm going to ask her about my belly growth and my weight.  I do feel that most of the weight is in the belly (but as you can tell by the picture above, my arm looks huge too).  The weight gain is concerning and I'm interested to hear the results of the blood test, since gestational diabetes babies can be large (not necessarily healthy for mom or baby).

After many weeks of hashing out names in my head and talking them over with Nick and family.  I THINK we have settled on a FULL name.  This middle name hasn't been mentioned before, but I think it is the right choice.

Caroline Sutherland

With this name, Caroline would have my mother's initials (CSS), and Sutherland is also my mom's maiden name.  I have always loved my mom's maiden name, and believe it is a very strong name.  My mom's generation is the last to hold the last name, Sutherland, within our blood line, so Miss Caroline will carry it on as her middle name.    

The meaning and origin of Caroline:

English & Scottish origin-Meaning is Joy. Song of happiness. Also feminine variant of Charles:manly. 

Latin origin-Meaning from Carol (joyous song) and Linda (pretty).

The meaning and origin of Sutherland:

Scottish-a sur-name meaning South-land or from the south (I'm taking that as "a southern girl!"). Sutherland is also an area of the Highlands of Scotland. The Sutherland clan (sur-name) motto is Sans Peur- "without fear."

At week 25, Miss Caroline should be...

The measurement is now at around 13.62 inches (34.6cm) and baby is now weighing approximately 1.46 pounds (660g).
If you were to go into labor now, baby would have a strong chance of surviving.
Baby is still extremely small and although there are chances of him/her surviving should he be born now, he/she would probably spend several months in hospital.
The smallest of the blood vessels are now starting to form underneath your babies skin now, and as they begin to fill with blood, your baby's skin takes on a pinkish appearance.

Week 23...7days late (so, really 24 weeks)

Lookin' large and in charge...
and in need of a hair cut!  

I really thought we would have a name by now, but we don't.  I have been delaying on the blog, as I thought my next post would be the official name, but I'd be delaying for weeks.
Nick and I took a trip last weekend to Asheville, NC and talked about the names and how we felt about each.  We hashed it out on the drive up and back, and we still don't have a name.  I think we have a solid first name, Caroline.
Nick made the comment that if the naming of this little girl was so hard that he could only imagine how much of a handful she will be once born!  I sure hope she is not too much of a handful and she is like the song, Sweet Caroline!
Caroline is very active these days.  I can feel her movement at all times of the day (and night). I feel her movements a lot more than Tillman.  I wonder if I am just more aware this time around or if she is packing quite the punch!  When I roll over at night, she too has to get used to laying on the new side as well.  I feel like she is in there readjusting herself.  Sometimes, I end up going back to the other side just to settle her down!
Nick also got to feel Miss Caroline for the first time while we were in Asheville.  She was kicking up a storm!  Glad daddy got to feel her in action!

The name saga to be continued.  I hope we settle on a full name soon...


How big is baby?The measurement is now at around 11.38 inches (28.9cm) and baby is now weighing approximately 1.10 pounds (501g).
How is she developing and growing?Baby's body will start getting plumper and wrinkled and any lanugo hair may start to turn darker at this time. Her eyebrows and eyelids are well formed by now. Over the next month she is going to gain considerable weight, and will be weighing almost double what it is at the moment.
The three bones which make up your babys middle ear - the hammer, anvil and stirrup - are all starting to harden, this means that sound transmission is now possible. Although your baby may be able to transmit sound, there is no way of knowing if your baby is able to interpret this sound at this point (although the brain is developing rapidly, it may still be too immature to deal with the sounds).
The important organs which your baby uses to produce hormones are developing nicely. One hormone in particular, insulin, is being produced by the pancreas. Insulin helps your baby break down and use sugar. When a baby is exposed to high blood sugar levels the pancreas will respond by increasing the blood-insulin level.

21 Weeks & The Name Game

I've officially been Instagrammed at 21 weeks

At 21 weeks we are in the thick of the name game!  We did have a girl name picked, but Nick's unsure if he likes the first name, and I'm unsure of it since it doesn't have any family connection (I'm big on family names). Another big requirement for us, is whatever the name ends up being, she will be called it...no nick names or shortened versions!  I also really love double names, but Nick is into "short and sweet."

The name in question is Caroline Reese (Reece).  Oh, do I love the name, Caroline!  I feel like she is Caroline to me already, but a name is a HUGE decision!

Nick's came up with his short list of names that he liked after doing an Internet search.  He jotted them on a sticky note when he was at work.

From his list, I really like Abigail, Kenzie (as a middle name), Grace, and Madison.

We've also been doing a little family research for girl names.  From Nick's side, there's Ellen (Nick's Grandmothers, Roberta Ellen and Winifred "Winnie" Marion), Katherine (Great Grandma was Katherine "Katie" Heidgerken), Sarah (Great Grandma was Sarah Ellen) and Marie (Great Grandma was Lucille Marie and Nick's sister's middle name).
From my side of the family there's Millie (Mildred "Millie" Louise was my mom's mom), Kathleen (Viola Kathleen was my dad's mom), Nora or Conway for a middle name (Great Grandmother was Hanorah Conway),  and Hayes for a boy (Great Grandmother Eva Ethal Hayes). I'm continuing to do research.
 
A couple other names I came across were Maybelle(Maybelle was my grandfather's sister's name) Maggie Grimsley (my dad's grandmother), Ottie Mae (my mom's grandmother) and Fehrn Ozella (Nick's mom's grandmother).

With all of that research and all of the above said, I like
-Mary Caroline (as a double name). The name, Mary, is on both sides of my family just not a grandmother (My mom's aunt, whom my initials are after, and my dad's sister and aunt)
-Caroline Conway
-Nora(h) Caroline (as a double name)
-Kathleen Kenzie
-Kathleen Marie
-Sarah Kathleen (as a double name)

More research to come...I also talked to my Dad tonight and had him hunting around my parent's house for a family history book that is no where to be found.  My Granny's side is very documented, but my Pop's side is not.  There were adoptions and three family/ last names associated with his side (very complicated).

At 21 weeks....
Mrs. Pregnant in the Lowcountry is having a daily headache, which stinks.  Other than that, things are good.  I go for a follow up with Dr. Villers on Thursday.

How big's baby girl?
From this week on we can measure baby from head to heel. It will now be around 10.51 inches (26.7cm ) and will weigh 12.70 ounces (360g).


How is your baby developing and growingBaby's digestive system is already functioning in a simple way. At this stage baby can swallow amniotic fluid, absorb much of the water in it and then pass the unabsorbed matter as far as the large bowel.
As mentioned above, baby is already swallowing fluids, it is believed that swallowing of amniotic fluid may actually help with growth, development and will condition the digestive system to function normally after birth. The amniotic fluid which surrounds baby, and baby is using to practice swallowing and digestion is actually replaced every 3-4 hours.
Over the first three days of this week baby's legs will reach their final proportions. You may notice that when baby is born that their arms and legs look "short". This is normal, and their proportions will begin to change when they move to start crawling and walking.
Baby's heart has continued to develop and is now beating strong enough that it could easily be heard with a stethoscope.

It's a.....

GIRL!

We are really excited to have a girl in our family.  She will be the first girl for both sides of the family.  I guess she will be the one "cheerleader" on the side lines, as she cheers on the whole "football team" of boys in the family.
Nick and my mom came to the ultrasound.  At first, she had her legs really close together and crossed at the ankles.  The ultrasound tech kept trying to "wake" her, but she was rather comfortable.  We were looking for confirmation that she was indeed a girl.  We were told at 14 weeks that they were 90% sure it was a girl (but not to paint the room yet).  I always thought I would enjoy knowing even a guess, but that guess created all these "what if's they are wrong" in my head.  I'm glad it's official!

Her heart rate was 154 bpm, and all of her measurements were average. She is already head down. At 20 weeks and 2 days, she weighed 13 oz. This scan measured her due date to by 8/24/12, so I guess she is a little ahead of schedule.  All anatomy was present and normal, which is a blessing.

Stats from the Anatomy Scan (Biometry)

Adominal Circumference: 60th percentile

Head Circumference: 60th percentile

Biparietal Diameter (Head): 81st percentile 

Femur Length: 40th percentile

Humerus: 78th percentile

OFD: 73rd percentile

TCD: 91st percentile

So, who do you think she looks like?  She certainly has Nick's chin just like Tillman does.

Let the name game begin!  What should we call her?

20 Weeks

Easter Sunday 2012

The baby belly is growing!  When I saw this picture on Facebook, I was like "wow, look how big it is!"  A picture is worth a 1,000 words, as they say, and seeing me in this one, I was speechless!

I do feel like this week, I have started to grow a lot more in the belly.  This pregnancy, I feel, I'm carrying a whole lot higher.  The baby shelf seems to start up at my neck!  The kicks are starting to feel like flutters.  I feel the flutters way down low, and they are generally at night.  The placenta is in the front again for this pregnancy, so I likely won't feel any strong kicks.  As Nick says, "well, that's good because you like your sleep!"

Back to the picture...looking at it makes me wonder what it would be like to have 6 kids.  The one and only one I'm responsible for in the picture is unsupervised and running away behind me while I'm uploading a photo on my phone. Nick wants a whole house full of children, but seeing the circus, I'm unsure I'd be good at wrangling 6 kids!

Big Brother Tillman's favorite word is still "baby."  He calls everything baby...including my belly!

How big's baby?
Baby's crown to rump measurement is now at 6.46 inches (16.4 cm) and your baby is now weighing approximately 10.58 ounces (300g).

How's baby developing and growing?The skin which is covering your baby's body now begins growing from two layers, the epidermis (surface layer) and the dermis (a deeper layer).
The vernix, which is a slimy sort of film which covers the baby's entire body to protect it's skin from the amniotic fluid, is still being produced. There is a good chance that you will see this white slimy substance when your baby is born.
Baby's movements should now be becoming stronger and stronger, as ossification continues and soft cartilage is turned into bone. As baby's arms and legs become harder and stronger the strength of baby's kicks will be more noticeable, but still not a solid contact.

19 weeks

Today marks 19 weeks.  We're getting ready for next week's ultrasound.  My mom is actually going to be in Charleston for another appointment, so she is going to stick around for the ultrasound to see our August Arrival.  Looking forward to catching a glimpse.  

At 19 weeks, I'm in full blown maternity clothes (and yes, I am wearing white paints before Easter, Emily Post), and busted out the maternity bathing suit this weekend.  It was Mrs. Pregnant in the Lowcountry's birthday, so we all went to the beach (Edisto) for the day.  You can kind of tell, I got just a little burnt on that trip!  

I'm unsure if big brother, Tillman, knows what is going on or not, but he has learned the word "baby."  He says it ALL the time.  He saw a baby at an Easter Egg Hunt this weekend, and now he is stuck on babies.  He points at the diaper box, books, pictures, etc and says "baby."

19 week update from the web

How big is your baby?
This week your baby measures 15.3cm (6.02 inches) and weighs in at around 240g (8.47 ounces).
Your baby's weight will increase more than 15 times between now and when you give birth.


Baby's development
If you are having a girl, then you will find that she already has primitive egg cells in her ovaries! Girls are born with all the eggs they will ever have in their life time already in their ovaries.
Over the next few days the vernix caseosa will begin to form over your baby's body. This is a creamy looking substance which forms as a protective layer over your baby's skin. This protects the developing glands and sensory cells, and is composed of dead skin cells, oils and lanugo.
Your baby will also start developing fat deposits around the neck, chest and crotch. This acts as an insulator and keeps your baby warm.
Your baby will be sleeping now much as a new born baby would, and would already be finding its 'favourite' position to sleep in. Most babies will sleep with their chin tucked into the chest, or with the head tilted backwards.
Other developments this week include: Formation of the eyebrows, fine scalp hair and if you are having a girl, then her uterus will complete formation this week.

17 weeks and 2 days

17 weeks and 2 days
1st Baby Bump photo

I saw Dr. Villers today.  Our August Arrival had a 145 bpm heart rate, and everything sounded good.  It was a rather quick appointment to check the heart rate.  I also had to have blood taken to test for certain birth defects as well.  The next Dr. Villers appointment is in 4 weeks; however, the next ultrasound is on 4.12.12.

I busted out the maternity clothes on March 10th, so it fills good to let the baby belly hang out.  I'm starting to get more of a baby bump.  I do agree that you starting showing a lot sooner with the second baby.  After reviewing my "baby bump" photos from my first pregnancy, I looked about this far along at 22 weeks the first time.  

It is still hit or miss as to those who notice from those who have no idea.  The ones who notice, are very forward about it and the ones who don't are shocked and say "wow, you hide it so well."

What the web says about week 17

How big is your baby?
The crown to rump length is now up to 13cm (5.12 inches) and the weight is now around 140g (4.94 ounces), which is double what it was 2 weeks ago.
How big are you?
Your uterus is now about 2 inches below your bellybutton. You are now showing quite a bit and there is an obvious swelling in your lower abdomen. By this time maternity clothing is a must for comfort sake, as you would have probably gained about 5-10 pounds (2.3-4.6 kg) by now. (I've gained 10 lbs by today...ugh!)

How is your baby developing and growing?
There is a definite change in the appearance of your baby and he/she is beginning to look more human like. This week will show lots of growth and development, especially as your babys weight will increase six time over the course of the next four weeks.Fat deposits, also known as adipose tissue, will begin to be evident over the next few weeks. Fat is important for the body as it aids in heat production and metabolism.
By this stage of your pregnancy you should have felt your baby move, if you haven't yet then you should feel him move within the next few weeks. There are certain factors which may make it difficult to feel your baby move, such as position of the placenta - but at some stage over the next few weeks you should feel baby move.

Our August Arrival

Our August Arrival is due on 8.28.12.  

Our wish was for our children to be close together, and our hope is that it will make them closer and playmates.  I actually took a pregnancy test on 12.28.11.  I had a feeling that I was expecting over Christmas, but the test confirmed it once we returned to town from Kentucky!  

  

I emailed Dr. Villers the next day to let her know of the news, and of course, to set up my first OB appointment.  I saw Dr. Villers on 1.20.12, and got my first glimpse of Our August Arrival.  Heart beat was strong, and she calculated the due date to be 8.28.12.  August was a little sooner than I thought, but grateful none the less!

We waited to tell family and friends until after our first trimester screening, which we had on 2.25.12.  The way we told our family was we got Tillman a "Big Brother" shirt (I actually, called my dad, JRS, right after the appointment to tell the news).  We did Facetime with Cici, had PapPaw come over for dinner to see Tillman, and we Skyped with Nick's mom (Mimi) and grandmother.  Tillman is on the move these days, so it took a while for them to read his shirt, but when they did, they were very excited to hear that the family would have another baby to love!  For the aunts and uncles, we called our sisters and brother to tell them the news by phone.

Our first trimester screening went really well.  The report stated the occurrence of Downs Syndrome and/or Trisomy 18 and 13 less than 1 in 10,000.  The genetic counselor explained that this is the lowest risk that the blood test reports, and this was wonderful news/ "we are off to a great start."  Our August Arrival was measuring 5 days ahead of the due date, it was noted that the placenta was in the front, cord blood was flowing appropriately, and all organs were functioning.

I finally told work and the world of Facebook on 3.9.12.  I wasn't ready to tell work because I had a few loose ends that I didn't want "oh Meredith's pregnant" to effect.  Of course, they say it doesn't effect anything (legal answer), but I often wonder if it does or not.  I knew that 3.9.12 was the time to say something because folks were starting to notice.  After all, I work at a Children's Hospital.  These folks can point out a pregger a mile away.  I had already had someone point to my tummy, and say "oh, already...another one!"  I was at a reception on 3.6.12, and I could just "feel" people talking about me.  It is a very exciting thing to be pregnant, but not so exciting to have the whispers.
When "the cat was out the bag," folks were saying "I knew it," "I thought so,"I guessed it a few weeks back".....

Our next ultrasound is on 4.10.12(after review of my calendar, it appear the appointment is 4.12.12).  This will be the anatomy scan/ 20 week ultrasound, and we will know for sure what Our August Arrival will be.  At our 2.25.12 ultrasound, the sonographer said that she was 90% sure of the sex, but for the sake of publishing this to the world and being the other 10%, I'll hold off on the gender until we know for sure.  After all, Our August Arrival could become the President one day, and the opposing candidate may read what I wrote and cause a political uproar the day before the election!  Ok, maybe too much TV (or campaign 2012 coverage) for Mrs. Pregnant in the Lowcoutry!

We're very excited to become a family of four.  We've already placed Our August Arrival on the daycare waiting list, figured out maternity leave plans, rearranged and purchased new car seats to accommodate, and purchased a double stroller.  More plans to come, but I think we are going to gear up all other planning after our 4.1012 appointment (which my mom noted was her due date when she had me in 1981)!