24 Weeks

The weather is really starting to cool down and we have had a few fires in the fireplace over the last few weeks, which to me really kicks off the change in seasons.  This Saturday was a rather nice day and we were able to get outside and winterize the yard.  Perry helped me clear out the garden (he does love pushing dirt around) while Chris took care of the lawn.  It felt nice to get outside and move around.  When Chris was done he took Perry for a few laps around the house on the mower, so he was one happy little guy. 

Hard to believe we only have 16 more weeks to go.  With the holidays right around the corner and with trips coming up to Austin for Thanksgiving and Salt Lake City for Christmas, the rest of the year is going to fly by. 

 

Week 24 Developments

Baby's growing steadily, having gained about 4 ounces since last week. Since she's almost a foot long, she cuts a pretty lean figure at this point, but her body is filling out proportionally and she'll soon start to plump up. Her brain is also growing quickly now, and her taste buds are continuing to develop. Her lungs are developing "branches" of the respiratory "tree" as well as cells that produce surfactant, a substance that will help her air sacs inflate once she hits the outside world. Her skin is still thin and translucent, but that will start to change soon.

23 Weeks

Adeline Lou Allen

A few weeks back I randomly picked up the baby name book and begin over again on the first page of girls names. There was Adeline, and after saying it out loud a few times I decided it was worth mentioning to Chris. He liked the name also and we started talking about nick names like Ada and Addie. We decided to take the name to the top of our list.

A week later I had gone up into the attic to put a few things that Perry had outgrown away in storage. I came across a Cabbage Patch Kid doll that I had bought 5 years ago while we were living outside of Philly. I had been at the grocery store and walked down the seasonal isle, which I never do. They had these 25 year anniversary Cabbage Patch dolls and there was one that looked just like the doll I had as a child, blonde side braid and everything.

So after mulling it over some I decided to buy her with the thought that one day if we had a daughter I could give it to her and if not I could be that crazy lady with a doll still in a box. The doll has moved with us since then to three different houses and all the way up to Maine. Back in the attic, I picked her up from where she had been tucked away and decided to take a look at the name. I don't think I ever really had before. This is what I saw..

 

I was stunned. After staring in disbelief I took her downstairs to show Chris. He couldn't believe it either and said "so I guess her name is officially Adeline now". If we were looking for some kind of sign, it has been delivered.

I called my sisters and my mom afterwards. My mom and Kim confirmed that the doll is indeed the same one I had as a kid. It turns out the 25 year anniversary dolls were made using the same molds that the originals were. So five years ago I bought a doll, my doll, to give to our future daughter and she already had her name, how amazing is that? I am still in awe. Adeline, we have been ready and waiting for you for a long time.

 

Week 23 - Development Update
Baby's sense of movement is well developed by now. She's more than 11 inches long and weighs just over a pound (about as much as a large mango). Blood vessels in her lungs are developing to prepare for breathing, and the sounds that the baby's increasingly keen ears pick up are preparing her for entry into the outside world. Loud noises that become familiar now — such as dogs barking or the roar of the vacuum cleaner — probably won't faze her when she hears them outside the womb.

22 Weeks

This one is late in coming as we hit 23 weeks tomorrow! We had our 22 week appointment at the end of last week and Baby B was really bumping around, she gave the doctor a good laugh. Her heart rate was at 140 and we have graduated to the measuring tape, where they measure your fundal height. I said it on my last blog and I will say it here again, fundus is a great word.

Perry stood in for Daisy this week..

Speaking of Perry, I started painting his new room a few days ago. I have three colors going on the wall; muslin white, mustard yellow and indigo blue. Going for the same look as below but with a darker blue.

 

I am also working on his dresser, which is a dark red in chalk paint by Annie Sloan (such great stuff). My hope is to get him in and situated over the next few weeks so we can start working on the nursery. We may even convert his crib into a toddler bed (by taking down one side and installing the toddler bed frame). He is on the verge of climbing out of his crib, in fact he did pull it off once a few days ago and I was luckily there to catch him. Considering his propensity to climb everything, this day was bound to happen. In fact I am surprised he has given us as much time as he has!

And on the baby name.. I will share with my next post, promise!

Week 22 Developments
At 11 inches and 1 pound, baby 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. If you could see inside the womb, you'd be able to spot the fine hair (lanugo) that covers her body and the deep wrinkles on her skin, which she'll sport until she adds a padding of fat to fill them in. Inside her belly, her pancreas — essential for the production of some important hormones — is developing steadily. 

22 Weeks

I do believe that Baby B has a future in kick boxing. She has been making herself known here lately.

And good news, we have settled on a name! Not quite ready to announce it yet, we are still saving it for some one to one conversations but I expect we will be sharing the story here soon enough. Oh, and it is quite the story.

This weekend we got to spend time with my bother Chris, his girlfriend Robin and her family.  We went to a fantastic Italian restaurant in the South End of Boston and got a celebrity sighting, Glenn Close was there.   Chris and Robin are leaving for New Zealand on Wednesday of this week, wild! Perry started calling his dad by his first name awhile back (despite our best efforts) and was having a hard time with the fact that there were two (and starting calling his dad Uncle Chris instead) so we decided to come up with a new name for my brother. From here on out he is to go by Zeus.  Perry was game and we had a good time with it. 

 

To leave you with something else fun, this is my idea board for the nursery.  Need to find the right shade of pink (pretty with out being to over the top). 

 

 

 

 

Week 21 Developements

Baby now weighs about three-quarters of a pound and is approximately 10 1/2 inches long - the lenght of a carrot (sure, why not a carrot). Baby is developing a pattern to her sleeping and waking activities. In other developments, baby's eyebrows and lids are present now.

Week 20 - Half Way There!

We hit the 20 week mark this past Thursday; it is wild to think that we are half way through this pregnancy. Or maybe even more than half way if this little one decides to go early. I doubt it though; my money is on her being at least a week late. Of course that is what I thought for Perry and it certainly didn't turn out that way.

Starting to really think about nursery plans and have been adding some pics along the way to Pinterest to get a design board going. This go around we have two rooms to work through since we are moving Perry into the guest room and then converting the nursery from boy to girl. Feeling rather up for the challenge as I do love this part. We have a narrowed down to a few cribs to choose from so I think we will be placing that order very soon. I will update the blog along the way with our progress.

Week 20 Developement


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 - the lenght of a banana. For the first 20 weeks, when a baby's legs are curled up against her torso and hard to measure, measurements are are taken from the top of her head to her bottom — the "crown to rump" measurement. After 20 weeks, she's measured from head to toe. Baby is swallowing more these days, which is good practice for her digestive system. She's also producing meconium, a black, sticky by-product of digestion. This gooey substance will accumulate in her bowels, and will be seen in her first soiled diaper.

Week 19

Here we are at week 19, which is a big one because we had our anatomy ultrasound this morning. Baby B passed with flying colors. Her heart rate was at 145 and she weighs 11 oz, right on target for 19 weeks. She was being a bit stubborn and wouldn't give the technician easy access to take a look at her heart; she kept her arms crossed which caused a shadow. Finally after she tried having me move side to side, cough and tilting the examination table back at an angle she finally got what she needed. We were able to count all fingers and toes and confirm that all of her organs are in the right place. We also confirmed that she is indeed a she and found out that the placenta is towards my spine and not my belly button which was not much of a surprise but good to know.

On a different note, October tends to be a month all about organization for me and this year is the same. Part of that effort is what I call 30 days of perfect where I stay away from sugar and junk food and keep to a workout routine. I am always amazed how much clearer and more energized I feel when I stay away from sugar. The reason though that I am bringing this up is that I am actually down two pounds from last week. Now mom, before you start worrying about this, know that I am actually two pounds heavier than I was with Perry at 19 weeks.. So just getting back into where I should be at this point!

 

 

 

We were given a long roll of pictures and I picked a few of the best down below. Also posted the pictures on Facebook today to make the announcement to the rest of the world.

 

 As you might remember in our last blog for Perry, Chris and I had installed a backsplash at our South Portland house. Well apparently growing a baby leads us to wanting a backsplash because we did it again this last week. Well Chris did it really and I kept Perry entertained and lent a hand during naps. He did a fantastic job and it is just what we wanted. We decided to go with a cream subway tile with a grey grout which really works well with our kitchen colors and just feels appropriate for the style of our house. Very satisfying to have it complete.

 Dasiy approves.

 Finished product.

 

 Perry had his own project going on, trying to fish a ball out of the elephant nose.

 

 

Week 19 Developements

Baby's sensory development is exploding! Her brain is designating specialized areas for smell, taste, hearing, vision, and touch. Some research suggests that she may be able to hear moms voice now.
Baby weighs about 8 1/2 ounces (actually 11) and measures 6 inches, head to bottom — about the size of a large heirloom tomato. 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.



Week 18

Week 18 was a great one. We had our 18 week appointment last Friday and Baby B's heart beat continues to be an easy one to find! As soon as the Doppler hits my belly there she is, pretty fantastic. Her heart rate was in the 150 range. She has also become big enough that I can feel her kicking quite regularly. I was lying on my back on the couch earlier in the week and could feel her bumping around in there, grabbed Chris' hand and he got to feel a wee baby kick also. With Perry the placenta was positioned in the front which lead to a barrier of sorts between he and I, and meant that we didn't get to feel him move as much. With Baby B that certainly does not seem to be the case. I was hopeful that I could feel her move more, and considering we are only at 18 weeks and she is making herself known, I have a feeling that by the end of this pregnancy I will be wishing that the placenta had been in the front for this one too!

We are still on the name hunt but have gotten some great suggestions from our friends here checking the blog, thank you for that! My list is getting longer every day.  Carrie called out that the middle name will be Lou which is dead on and I should have listed that as part of my criteria! Lou is my middle name as well as my Grandmother, Aunt and Cousin on my Dad's side and I really do like the idea of following the tradition of passing it on. Plus Baby B's cousin goes by Amy Lou (formal name Amelia Louise) so in a way the girls will both share middle names. Pretty sure we can have some fun with that.

Week 18 Developments
Head to rump, baby is about 5 1/2 inches long (about the lenght of a bell pepper) and she weighs almost 7 ounces. She's busy flexing hers arms and legs — movements that might be noticable more and more in the weeks ahead. Her blood vessels are visible through her thin skin, and her ears are now in their final position, although they're still standing out from her head a bit. A protective covering of myelin is beginning to form around her nerves, a process that will continue for a year after she's born.

Week 17

Catching up today! Daisy and Olive made their way into the picture for week 17..

Chris and I have been thinking a lot about names here lately. We had Perry ready to go before we knew it was a boy, actually for some time before he even existed. But a girl name so far is stumping us. We have had a few that we agree to liking but not a "ah ha, that is it" moment. Well we did have one of those moments when we were in Switzerland; we decided that we really liked Sophia. But I looked up the name on the popularity charts and wow is it up there. Top 5 for the last few years. So we backed off that idea. Really we want something similar to Perry in regards to criteria.

Namely (pun intended):

1) Easy to say and easy to spell
2) A solid name that suits a child as well as an adult
3) Doesn't pigeon hole into a particular career field but could work for a CEO to bar back (although my brother Bobby would tell you that Perry's name is sending him straight to law school)
4) Unique enough that there is no need to ever go by the first name + last name initial
5) And the kicker, and the reason I think we are struggling, is that the name needs to be pretty but not girly.

I ordered a book the other day so I think we will go about it the old fashioned way and pick favorites and narrow it down.

This coming Thursday we hit 18 weeks and have our next doctor’s appointment. The following week we have our anatomy ultra sounds where they go through the little one from crown of head to toes. I am excited to get to spend that much time looking at the little creature and of course confirming that all is as it should be.

Chris and I were talking yesterday about how much quicker this pregnancy is going by. The combination of having a sense of what to expect and a lot less doctor appointments in general are making this one less front and center all the time. Truthfully that is fine by me; I spent a lot of time holding my breath last time! It is lovely to be so normal this go around!

Speaking of normal, I promise to get back to weekly posting from here on out.

Week 17

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

Week 16

Where did week 15 go you ask? Well the Allen family has had a very busy month of September and the week 15 shot was an unfortunate casualty. We got back from our big vacation and then Perry and I turned around and went to Salt Lake less than a week later for Carrie and Denver's wedding. We stayed for two weeks and Chris was able to join us half way through. With all of the business of visiting family, holding showers, attending the wedding itself and still working (I am working on a contract resign with my largest client that is all consuming)... well, let's just say that I am pleased that I only missed one week worth of pictures!

And although I didn't get week 15, do have other very worthwhile shots to share...

 

Week 16

Get ready for a growth spurt. In the next few weeks the baby will double in weight and add inches to overall length. Right now the baby is the size of an avocado. The legs are much more developed and the head is more erect than it has been. Ears are close to their final position, too. The patterning of the hair on the scalp has begun and baby has started growing toenails. Baby's heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day, and this amount will continue to increase as the baby continues to develop.

Week 14

A new baby and a new blog!  We hit the week 14 mark this past Thursday which takes us officially into second trimester.  Yahoo to that.  Although I really can't complain, so far this pregnancy has been even easier then with Perry.  I remember having serious spells of exhaustion and having to take mid-afternoon naps.  This go around there has certainly been times where I felt a bit low on energy but not nearly what it was last time.  Maybe not really having the option for naps plays a factor!  Or maybe it is the difference between being pregnant with a girl vs. a boy (if all the pink on this blog didn't give that away already).  We had genetic testing (Maternity 21) a few weeks back which came back with all normal results and told us the gender.  I am amazed that in such a short period of time that the landscape has changed so dramatically and that we can avoid a amniocentesis with a simple blood test, not to mention have results at 11 weeks instead of waiting until 17.  Truly astonishing.

Our due date is March 6th, which is the exact same due date we had for Perry.  We are on the same timeline but two years later for this one, wild.  Although I do believe that we should be able to avoid another birth on my (and now mostly Perry's) birthday.

I am planning on posting a few ultra sound pictures and also some bump shots from Chris and my recent vacation to France and Switzerland.  Not to mention keeping up with the weekly blog.  So some good stuff to come.  Stay tuned..

Week 14
This week's big developments: Baby can now squint, frown, grimace, pee, and possibly suck her thumb! Thanks to brain impulses, facial muscles are getting a workout as tiny features form one expression after another. The kidneys are producing urine, which is released into the amniotic fluid — a process that will remain up until birth. Baby can also grasp and suck her thumb.

In other news: Baby's stretching out. From head to bottom, she measures 3 1/2 inches — about the size of a orange — and she weighs 1 1/2 ounces. The body is growing faster than the head, which now sits upon a more distinct neck. By the end of this week, arms will have grown to a length that's in proportion to the rest of the body. (the legs still have some lengthening to do.) Baby is also starting to develop an ultra-fine, downy covering of hair, called lanugo, all over the body. Baby's liver starts making bile this week — a sign that it's doing its job right — and the spleen starts helping in the production of red blood cells. Though tiny punches and kicks can't be felt yet, the hands and feet (which now measure about 1/2 inch long) are more flexible and active.